I’m always amazed and moved by the deep love many children have for wild animals. It’s a natural and often more immediate kind of love than what many adults, myself included, usually show on the surface.
Yesterday, my nine-year-old noticed from the front porch that a raccoon had been hit by a car on our street. It was a distressing sight. She called her siblings to see. The younger one, who’s six, felt very sad and said, “I just feel so bad for the raccoon.”
I felt bad too, but I tried not to let this moment symbolize all the sadness I feel about such events. I suggested we light a candle for the raccoon. It struck me that the driver who hit the raccoon probably felt terrible, so I mentioned that and wished them well.
Though that’s all I had to offer at the moment, my kids took it further. They made a wreath, with the nine-year-old writing a label saying “raccoon” and the six-year-old drawing a picture with various vehicles crossed out. “Why can’t everyone just ride bikes?” he asked, although in his picture, even the bike had an X on it.
The candle burned for a couple of hours, and the kids later told their dad about it. This whole ritual helped them process their feelings, and it helped me too. Despite the sadness, I found comfort in seeing their love and connection, their care for another living being, and the effectiveness of this small ritual.
This experience taught me how to manage my own feelings of sadness. It showed me that rituals and gestures can be meaningful and effective. It also reminded me of the loving kindness within us that we can always reach for.
Thank you for caring. I hope these children grow up to be vegans so they won’t contribute to the suffering or death of any other animals.